NICE Public Health Advisory Committee – recruitment of ‘core’ community member

NICE are currently seeking applications for a ‘core’ community member to join the committee who develop public health guidance on a range of different topics.

The core community member of this committee will play a key role in making sure that the views, experiences and interests of the public, especially vulnerable community groups, are included in the committee’s decision-making. The appointment will be for a period of 3 years and committee meetings will take place in central London. NICE community members are paid a fee to attend meetings and they will cover travel and other expenses.

NICE would welcome an application from those who have an understanding of the issues important to service users, families or communities with respect to public health activities and initiatives and are able to reflect the experiences and needs of a wide network of relevant members of the public. This could be as someone who has been involved in activities, groups or campaigns to improve the health and wellbeing of a community or specific groups of people or as a volunteer or employee of a relevant community or voluntary organisation. The applicant would need to be able to contribute effectively in a formal committee setting.

To give you an idea of the areas of public health that NICE develops guidelines in, NICE have recently published guidance on:

•approaches to delaying or developing the onset of dementia, frailty and disability in later life (for the over 65s)

•promoting workplace health

•preventing excess weight gain

•promoting physical activity

•reducing the health risk associated with cold homes

•promoting sexual health and

•needle and syringe programmes.

Any applicant wouldn’t need to be an expert in all of these areas of course – they are really looking for someone with expertise in and passion about promoting the health and wellbeing of a community or specific group of people.

I will double check with the contact we have at NICE and post a reply shortly but I would think that you are correct in that it is people from England and Wales but as it does require attendance at meetings in London that too is a consideration.

I don't know if SIGN have similar patient engagements but if we are made aware we will post something on HU as well.

Thanks for the email, and for promoting these opportunities for involvement – it’s very much appreciated.

Yes, the guidance/quality standards aren’t automatically used by the devolved nations, but people from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can apply for committee roles, and have indeed also been appointed in the past.

Unless the guidance was to do with the specific delivery of services (which as I’m sure you’re aware, can be very different across the devolved nations), people from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are very welcome to apply as lay members to bring the patient, service user or carer experience of a particular treatment or condition to the work of a committee.

I think it is more a matter of personal preference for the applicants more than anything – so do they want to help to develop guidance that may potentially not be used or applied to an area where they receive treatment and care? Depending on the country, the devolved government can choose to adopt the guidance if they wish to, but there are no guarantees until the decisions are taken following publication.

If there are any other queries, potential applicants are more than welcome to contact me directly – please do feel free to pass on my details.